Students Bringing Chaos, Madness in Droves
A record number of freshmen adding to game-day atmosphere
Mike Brohard
On a Friday night in late August, as Colorado State’s football team just finished wrapping up preparations for the upcoming season with a mock game, the gates opened on the north end of Canvas Stadium.
A steady stream of freshmen started the journey through the New Belgium Porch, out onto the playing surface and into the east stands of the stadium. The first couple of times the numbers seemed to lessen, the pace picked up again. One coach said to no one in particular, “where are they all coming from?”
As it turns out, everywhere. The fourth-largest freshman class to be admitted to Colorado State came equipped with a record number of in-state enrollees – 3,644 strong – bolstered by more than 1,500 from around the country with a sprinkling from around the globe.
The night was a welcome to college athletics and an introduction to Ram Country – the cheers, the traditions, the fight song -- and more than 5,000 of them poured into the stands. Football coach Jay Norvell fired them up. So did men’s basketball coach Ali Farokhmanesh and volleyball coach Emily Kohan.
And they’ve continued to show up now that the outcomes count.
“The students showing up and supporting our student-athletes is absolutely, positively massive. They're engaged,” said John Weber, CSU’s Director of Athletics. “Their peers are the ones who are competing. We've got a lot of student-athletes who as people are really, really easy to root for. All the work that the university has done, that we have done to get our students engaged, to get them to the games, to keep them at the games, to give us a competitive advantage, it's been outstanding.”
A record 15,775 showed up for football’s home opener. More than 4,000 packed Moby Arena for volleyball matches against Notre Dame and Colorado. On average, more than 14,000 have shown up for the first two football games, with the midweek numbers for Saturday’s game against Washington State pushing toward that figure.
When Kohan’s teams are playing, the average student attendance has been more than 3,100 as the team ranks in the top five nationally in attendance. What the coaches and administrators see, the student-athletes can feel.
“It's huge, honestly. I came from a school where volleyball wasn't really a priority, and we didn't have a ton of student engagement, and I think it really makes a big difference,” Wilson said. “The impact in Moby … I can't imagine being the opponent, coming and playing and having to deal with the fans. I think the students really rallying around us, even when I'm in class and my classmates have been to a game, it's just really special, honestly, to have that support.”
As a thank you, Weber rented a Kona Ice truck on Thursday to distribute free shaved ice to students at the Lory Student Center. To encourage them to keep coming, the athletic department has instituted The Ram Loyalty Student Rewards program, where students can earn points for attending games and staying until the end.
Using the CSU Rams app, students can log in to access their tickets and check in at events at various times. Doing so accumulates points which can be used to obtain gift cards, Rams gear and even perks such as guaranteed front-row seats at games or pre-game sideline passes.
I can't imagine being the opponent, coming and playing and having to deal with the fans.Eve Wilson
The goal of every athletic department is to fill the venues. The pursuit of season-ticket holders, building booster clubs and donor groups is the lifeline of programs, especially in this new age of college athletics where student-athletes are being paid. The price of a scholarship is not going down. Nor is the value of an impact rush end on the defensive line.
A wide pan of a full arena or stadium plays well on television. Weber knows it has an affect on those viewers at home, even the younger ones. They see a place where the energy is high and suddenly, it’s a school they add to their list of prospective college choices.
The close-up shots on broadcasts, those are reserved for the student section, and for good reason. Those sections bring the noise, supply the energy, and are the most engaged. They play best visually, and from Norvell’s standpoint, emotionally.
“The student section is everything in college football. College football is about students, it's about alumni, it's about local fans, and to have that type of involvement is incredible,” Norvell said. “This campus is becoming a very tough place for people to play. I listen to some of these opposing coaches when they talk about playing here, and they're starting to talk about our fans and the crowd and the atmosphere. That's exactly what we've been working for.”
So has the university. The overall enrollment numbers weren’t just happenstance, but a push by central campus to grow the university. As for promoting the campus as a place where one can gain a world-class education and have fun, President Amy Parsons has done her part by being visible to the campus population and via social media.
When Weber saw the numbers for incoming students, he started envisioning large student sections, but the reality has exceeded his expectations.
“It starts with our President in terms of the way she has engaged the student body, the way she's been present,” Weber said. “We've been very intentional for the past couple of Ram Welcomes about how we work with our incoming freshmen and tell them what student life, and the student experience is about. Tell them what it's like to come to a football game, to a volleyball game, to a basketball game, to a soccer match -- across all of our sports, not just volleyball and football.
“They're showing up for everything and being really engaged with the university and engaged with the opportunity to have a phenomenal experience here at CSU. It's for the general student body as well, for them to come to a great academic institution and earn a phenomenal degree but also have some fun. As a former student, that was a big part of what I did while I was here, too.”
Which leads to what Weber believes is a competitive edge. Opposing teams are not intimidated by empty seats. Conference foes can operate without disruption in quiet venues.
That has not been Canvas Stadium. It has not been Moby Arena. And the flip side is, walking into a packed and noisy house lifts the energy of those who are performing for them.
“Definitely pregame, when we're warming up and stuff, and seeing them all stand is really special. And I think, especially in big moments in the games, even when I watch it from the back, you can see how impactful the student section is,” Wilson said. “It might not be right in the moment, but even if I'm on the bench, you can feel them cheering. It's definitely surreal. I feel like in my first year it's just crazy that this many people care about volleyball and are here to support us.”
There is no Madness, there is no Chaos without the students. In 2025, there’s been plenty of both, with ample opportunities for them to provide even more.
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